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Yes, thats why we work so hard to sell you why your here. Like I had said in another post, our chances of selling you drop below 10% once you leave.
I just posted the story because I thought it was funny as hell.
You would have to know this managaer. He became an instant hero in the eyes of his salesmen because he was willing to stick up for us.
How often have salespeople/stores called the customer to say there was an error. We didn't mean to add a charge on twice, etc., and here's a check for your money back? Would the manager have liked a customer going to his church to stand up and preach to the sales manager and his congregation? (I'm assuming this story is true to begin with.)
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
How often have salespeople/stores called the customer to say there was an error. We didn't mean to add a charge on twice, etc., and here's a check for your money back? Would the manager have liked a customer going to his church to stand up and preach to the sales manager and his congregation? (I'm assuming this story is true to begin with.)
Just this month we cut a check for 1000 to a customer when we forgot to take a rebate out of his car deal. He had an ordered unit that there was no rebate on and there was 1000 dollar rebate on the car by the time it came in. We found the error and contacted the customer. Its standard practice to repay the customer in case of an overcharge. I would assume that the amount being 4000 instead of 1000 would not change things. And please keep assuming my story is true, because it is.
I'm not a lawyer but maybe this will help. IF SHE'S UNDER 18...DON'T!
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
In addition to the "God brought you here" ploy I'd like to suggest a few more come-backs for the praying excuse:
1). "Oh didn't you know? It's against the law to pray over cars now. Those damn New York liberals, first the schools now the dealerships!"
2). "Pray about it? That's a good idea. Let's get down on our knees right here in the showroom and we'll pray together until we get an answer."
If that didn't work you could have the GM come out wearing a devil mask and screaming "That's a HELL of a deal, you better take it!"
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Now THATS funny and I dont care who you are. If you cant laugh at that just get the heck out.
C'mon, admit it. Isn't that when everyone knew it wasn't going to be a deal.
That's when I can almost hear you guys saying, "Who's the next up around here"? :surprise:
It takes all kinds but you biz guys see it more than us buyers.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Good thought 'farmer' but they'd sue you for fright and take your dealership from ya. Then you'd be back to farming.
Now you know why they don't do that stuff. :shades:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Mack
I take it this one is " To be continued"
I wish you good luck Mack!
GP
And as I suspected some mistakes in customer's favor aren't requested for extra cost by the store.
In the days of computers and the double-checking via the computer, I wondered if honest mistakes that happen get picked up where they might not have been caught in the past.
I've seen cars on the lot with identical equipment have varyiing prices because some were delivered before a price increase (GM examples) and the prices vary by several hundred dollars.
Sorry, joel, I wasn't going that direction. I've read comments about money back to customers when mistakes were made. I did think the technique the guy allegedly used was heavy handed, but then there are $4000 at risk. The parishioner should have been honest to begin with. Amazing how some people's religions interpret different situations. Interesting that the store still cut him a break over the negotiated price. Maybe they were better people than the religious guy was.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Think I might have said something like "I need to pray, too. I need to pray for forgiveness 'cause once tomorrow rolls around, I'll need to ask forgiveness from my boss for making this kind of crazy deal".
There's a show on HD Net that I absolutely love. It's called "Wall Street Warriors". If ever there is a pressure cooker job in sales, it would be as a broker on Wall St.
These guys, if they do get past a person's secretary, has all of about 2 minutes to make their point before getting hung up on. They make 100-300 cold calls/day. They hope for 10 people who they actually get to pitch to. I've had these types of people call me before. They know in short order whether they've got a prospect or not. None of the calls made to me have caused me to buy stocks from them. But, I've listened to their pitches several times.
Pretty direct, too. Their pitch seems pretty simple....
-"what I'm offering, what I'm going to do for you, will be good for you".
Once they hear the reply from their prospect "How will you be good for me?", they know they can close them.
Great stuff if you can get the HD Net channels.
I've got a number of "boiler room" cold calls, too. You can always tell those scams. They become abusive if you don't listen to their pitch. And, they're always pitching some unheard of penny stock.
I just posted the story because I thought it was funny as hell
Once had a gentleman come in to buy an Explorer from a co worker. Somehow the numbers got transposed and he signed up for 2k BELOW net/net. For thos of you not in the biz net/net is the ACTUAL amount paid for the car no bs thats the amount on the check.
Next morning the mistake was caught and the customer called. Now mind you, this customer was a deacon, or trustee or, elder, at a local church. I cant remember the specifics but he was pretty high up but he wasnt God or the Pastor. When called and the mistake explained, the customer refused to come back in and re sign for the real agreed upon price. We even offered to sell it for net/net just to break even on the deal.
"God must have wanted me to have this car at this price" He repeatedly told us.
He repeated this story for a couple of weeks. Finally our SM went to his church one Sunday.
I wasnt there so cant give specifics, but basically the Sales Manager stood up after the service and asked the congregation if it was right to take advantage of an honest mistake. He asked where the line was drawn at being dishonest. He asked if people who had knowingly taken advantage of someone was really "right" in the eyes of the Lord.
The following week a tearful Mr. Customer came in and re-signed the paperwork for the net/net price. Oh, and just to clarify, the net/net price was about 2100 dollars lower than the original agreed upon, handshake, lets do this deal, price.
Mack
That would marsha7
Link to last post ourside of Frontlines
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
More then you will ever know. We mailed out $15,000 in rebate checks last July to 30 people we had sold cars to who qualified for a $500 owner loyalty rebate that we did not give them because we did not understand the program.
I have also told more then one story on here where I have figured numbers wrong and refunded money.
So I am sorry to disappoint you, maybe in your own little world we are all a bunch of evil bastards but thats not the case.
Don't come in here to read the stories then act like an [non-permissible content removed] trying to turn the tables on them. Remarks like yours are the reason I go weeks with out telling you all anything.
Go to the other 53 topics designed to bash on the sales folks.
Cases were I have done it are:
When I do a locate and I work numbers on the car that stickers for $25855...
But the car I bring in only costs $25455... I explain the differance in the cars ussualy little things such as side sills or what not. Than I keep the discount the same so I lower their sale price by $400...
People are not stupid these days ( well not all of them ).
I need to keep my credibility. I have said it before it easy to sell one car. But it is a lot of work to sell the same person 2 or 3 cars.
On the idea of numbers being messed up... it happens more than you think. not all the time but once on a while a stock number will have the wrong vin and you end up working numbers on the wrong car. Thats why when I put a deal in the finance office I put the CO... and the window sticker in the deal jacket so I confirm and the F&I person can confirm it.
GP
Calm down joel... we don't need to be calling anybody an [non-permissible content removed] in here. Unless, it is somebody other than me. A point missed is that the preacher had already agreed on the price and then signed off on the lower price. Also, I wouldn't feel to good about returning rebate money... that comes from the manufacturer, not the dealership. The other money you returned proves you are all not "evil bastards".
Where both sides IMO are obligated to make amends is when there was just a paperwork error (tpos say). If we agree on 22K, and it is written down, but somehow gets entered and contracted at 21 or 23, then the deal needs to get fixed. Same as if the dealer forgot to subtract a rebate.
Flip side is always trickier. If the customer came out ahead (like with the preacher), at what point does the dealer just eat the mistake as a cost of doing business? In that story, it certainly sounds like the customer should pay the difference, but in many cases like that, I bet the Dealer just eats the mistake.
And I bet it is very rare that the customer didn't know that the dealer screwed up, and stayed quiet hoping they wouldn't catch it. Shows fine morals, right? Not much different than knowing a cashier gave you back the wrong change, but pocketing it anyway.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
To me that is huge as to why it is so important to get them in the building.
He also said the average time from first email to purchase is like 42 days and that is why it is important not to give up on a customer.
We are in a business of instant gratification, we want the sale today. The odds of selling you if you leave are terrible. The chances of getting a be back are less then 10%.
That's really interesting. I think I resemble those stats. Except the beback part. I didn't go to that many dealers.And I spoke to or called all of the salespeople that responded to me. Like many I did online research first before test driving and thought that I had a number one preferred car. I asked for a quote to get a budgetary feel of where the real price was.
After test driving, I decided on a different vehicle. Now I would do things differently. I woudl still do my research first, but I would go on test drives first before asking for quotes.
With the whole internet thing it's too easy to ask for a quote. We have been spoiled by things like Pricegrabber and expect a list of all of the dealers and the "bottom line shipped price" to appear in aneat little list for us to pick and chose.
That's why I don't blame you guys for trying to get a customer in to talk and test drive. I'm OK with it, since I want to have serius discussion too. Just don't misrepresent that you have something I'm looking for or lead on a price hat you are willing to seel it at and then hope to switch or upsell. That's when things fall apart.
I think it's time for some more "to be continued" or "modded Dodge Stealths" or even Deskmans 1234.56 doc fee stories
Can you make a $8,500 mistake in my favor on a R8 please
Tell us how the drive goes tommorow and share some specs
I walked in with an add for a Jimmy and asked if it was available. I got the old, "That one sold this morning". When I asked if they had another to sell at that price, they reluctantly agreed. We went out back and looked at what colors were available. I found one I liked and the salesman wrote down the stock #. We signed the contract with the sale selling price and listed all my rebates. I gave a credit card deposit and we agreed on delivery the next day. I went home and reviewed the contract and calculated what my payment would be.
Well the next day I walked in for delivery and sat down with the finance guy to sign all the papers. When signing the loan agreement I realized the payment went down about $5. I never make mistakes like this. I further reviewed the loan agreement and realized the terms went from 60 months to 66 months. With a six month stretch my payment should have gone down more than $5. I inquired about the descrepancy. I got the old finance guy smile , or is it smirk and he told me I didn't qualify for one of the rebates, so he stretched the terms to keep the payment close. He expected me to thank him for "looking out for me".
I stood up and told him the deal was off. It was $1500 more. He expected me to just sign off and I wouldn't have known about the loan stretch till it was too late. I demanded a refund on my deposit and he refused. He got the sales manager and general manager in there and all that did was heat me up. We finally settled on them eating $1200 of the difference.
Afterwards the sales manager commended me on how I fought and asked why I kept on slamming my card on the desk and kept demanding a refund on my card. He said "You seem like a pretty sharp guy, you know you could have just walked out and called the credit card company and disputed the charge".
My response was,"Yeah I know, but don't you think slamming the card was a little more dramatic and I got what I wanted".
He stood there stunned and said, "You played us."
"Like a fiddle", I said and smiled.
Mack
I couldnt agree more, it WAS heavy handed...but this fellow ( the customer was not going to give in) actually decided to shock him into paying. I wouldnt have the nerve to do that...I think I would have ate the money...but then I would have felt like a weasel fr the rest of my life...
If a window stiker has been taken off and put back on with scotch tape than i always double check it. But if it is a clean window sticker I haven't really worried about it.
But i do know what you are talking about.
GP
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
So you say. A good negotiator would have gotten away with an expediting fee of $100, maybe $150 tops for that purchase. Until they let you walk, you don’t know their best price. You were “played” and now we all know it. :shades:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
BTW,
Salesmanager called me a couple of days later and asked if i'd like to sell cars. I told him I would consider it in a couple of years when i retire.
But, I don't subscribe to them. It's a business transaction. The dealer is going to try to make the max amount of money. The buyer is trying to save the max amount of money.
If you've done your homework (and that means actually reading the contract, and rechecking the figures) by researching what your particular car sells for in your area, knowing the dealership's stock of your particular car, knowing the demand of those models, etc, you should get a good deal.
Conversely, if you walk in cold, have no idea of any of the above, chances are you aren't going to get the best deal.
The rest, all the theatrics of "I took the dealer, the dealer took me" is all noise. Although, I don't mind a negotiation session, I lean towards the "bobst" method (where's he been, BTW?).
Do your research. Decide how much you're willing to pay. Make an offer. It's a "yes or no" transaction at that point. Dealer says yes? We've got a deal. Dealer says no (or no until I get ready to leave the negotiation table), I move on to find someone who will say yes.
All the other "stuff" just gets in the way.
Going from 60 month terms to 66 month terms, without disclosing it up front, would make me walk out of the dealership. I wouldn't want to deal with those types of places.
Plus, in general, negotiating payments, instead of the bottom line cost of the vehicle, rarely nets you the best deal.
what seems like a good deal to one negotiator might not to another.
SEOUL, South Korea - The head of Nissan Motor Co. said even if the United States is not in recession, its auto industry is.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080222/ap_on_bi_ge/skorea_nissan
I know that. Did you see the Emotorcon?
The only thing that should be important to the buyer is that they are satisfied in the end. If they like to grind to get there, OK, even though the biz guys will hate him for it. The guys in the biz don't have to play if they don't want to.
If the buyer wants to give his wallet to the dealer, thats OK too. It's his money to do with as he chooses.
Like I've said so many times before, "This car buying thing really is simple".
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Mack
:shades:
You're right, the theatrics get in the way, but the dealers use them all the time. There's a little more to the story. First, the day I shopped the car I walked out quickly and didn't have the Salemanager approval on the deal. It was late and my wife wanted to get home. At the closing table when I realized they extended the terms and raised my price $1500, my first inclination was to walk out. But remember, never make important decision when your upset. So I took a moment and assessed the situation. He had pointed out I didn't have a signed contract. OK what do I do. This wasn't my local dealer. I wouldn't be going there for service. I was just there to get the best deal. I knew the rebate didn't apply so I was kinda at square one. At the end of the day splitting the error 80/20 was a favorable split.
I bet at least half of the economic slump is caused by alarmist news reports. But you could be right. For whatever reason cars aren't selling.
Recently I have seen ads on TV for high-end dealers who six months ago would have considered it beneath them to solicit business. These were screamer ads too.
This tells me that even the rich guys like jmonroe and jipster are tightening their belts.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Maybe we do need mini bios like Joel suggested in another forum.
After all, isn't he the one looking at a new Porsche and a dining room set at the SAME TIME!
Oh, I also recently got a mail coupon to go in for a test drive, and get a $100 Amex gift card (same as cash!). Odd thing is, it was from Lexus. I have gotten them in the past for Mazda and Mercury, but never from a luxury marque.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.